I get that we were poor first half, but it seemed obvious to me that we were conserving energy after a hectic christmas period.
Some of the stuff I was reading at half time though not just on here, but on social media. it's like we were 4-0 down to a rival team under wenger!
Sure enough, we stepped it up second half and started actually engaging in duels and winning them and we took over.
In Arteta, I do think we have a good manager on our hands. But as he gets to grip with this team we are gonna have periods where we don't look so great, so the fans shouldn't panic. It's all part of the process
Quick word on Leeds - ok, maybe we weren't trying much in the first half, but you still have to be good enough to take the game to the opposition. They played some real good stuff and were unlucky not to be a couple of goals up at half time. Look forward to seeing them in the league if they finally come up.
Fans need to calm down during tough moments
posted on 7/1/20
comment by AFCISMYTEAM (U14931)
posted 25 seconds ago
However you cut it, Leeds do not have the quality of even a mid-table premier league side. We should have won by two or three clear goals.
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Nah, They clearly do have the quality of a mid table prem team, they tore us apart in the 1st half, and that wasn't their strongest team. That wasn't luck, you can clearly see their manager has implemented a style of play and you'll see them do that to more teams next year when they come to the Prem imo.
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Did Leeds tear us apart because we aren't very good at the moment and we let them or did they do it because they have premier league quality?
The second half kind of shows that it is the former not the latter.
posted on 7/1/20
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by AFCISMYTEAM (U14931)
posted 25 seconds ago
However you cut it, Leeds do not have the quality of even a mid-table premier league side. We should have won by two or three clear goals.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Nah, They clearly do have the quality of a mid table prem team, they tore us apart in the 1st half, and that wasn't their strongest team. That wasn't luck, you can clearly see their manager has implemented a style of play and you'll see them do that to more teams next year when they come to the Prem imo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Did Leeds tear us apart because we aren't very good at the moment and we let them or did they do it because they have premier league quality?
The second half kind of shows that it is the former not the latter.
------------------------------------------------------------------
We still didn't tear them up in 2nd half though, we played as we should have in the 1st half. I believe they have Prem league quality in their team (like Wolves last year or the year before), and we'll see it next year.
posted on 7/1/20
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 55 minutes ago
I assumed that Arteta was purposely using AMN in midfield to bulk it up when we did not have the ball. But yesterday Sokratis was not coming into CM so it may have been by accident. That really exposed Xhaka's lack of mobility. Resting our best performers may have been Arteta's way of gauging the rest. And they failed miserably.
However you cut it, Leeds do not have the quality of even a mid-table premier league side. We should have won by two or three clear goals.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Expecting a big lumbering CB to play as an attacking full back is an ask. Expecting him to play as a RB/CM hybrid is way too much to ask.
Arteta probably told him to do his best at RB.
posted on 7/1/20
comment by AFCISMYTEAM (U14931)
posted 42 seconds ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by AFCISMYTEAM (U14931)
posted 25 seconds ago
However you cut it, Leeds do not have the quality of even a mid-table premier league side. We should have won by two or three clear goals.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Nah, They clearly do have the quality of a mid table prem team, they tore us apart in the 1st half, and that wasn't their strongest team. That wasn't luck, you can clearly see their manager has implemented a style of play and you'll see them do that to more teams next year when they come to the Prem imo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Did Leeds tear us apart because we aren't very good at the moment and we let them or did they do it because they have premier league quality?
The second half kind of shows that it is the former not the latter.
------------------------------------------------------------------
We still didn't tear them up in 2nd half though, we played as we should have in the 1st half. I believe they have Prem league quality in their team (like Wolves last year or the year before), and we'll see it next year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Had we played in the first like we did in the second then I doubt there would be any praise for Leeds. Many teams in the lower leagues are dangerous on the counter for example. I feel the reason why Leeds are being praised is because they dominated possession and created a lot of chances in the first half which you don't generally see in an away game against premier league opposition.
And that I think is because of us and not because of Leeds out playing us. The first half very much reminded me of our recent performances against Brighton etc. We were in relegation form very recently.
We will obviously see how good Leeds are when and if they are promoted. Bielsa is no doubt a top manager.
posted on 7/1/20
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 55 minutes ago
I assumed that Arteta was purposely using AMN in midfield to bulk it up when we did not have the ball. But yesterday Sokratis was not coming into CM so it may have been by accident. That really exposed Xhaka's lack of mobility. Resting our best performers may have been Arteta's way of gauging the rest. And they failed miserably.
However you cut it, Leeds do not have the quality of even a mid-table premier league side. We should have won by two or three clear goals.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Expecting a big lumbering CB to play as an attacking full back is an ask. Expecting him to play as a RB/CM hybrid is way too much to ask.
Arteta probably told him to do his best at RB.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, no doubt thats what happened. And in second half we compressed play into Leeds half and so made it easier for Gwen to cover a smaller space in midfield. I think to an extent Torreira's exhaustion is an indicator of how much extra work he has to do to cover for Xhaka's lack of mobility and occasional brain fart.
But it doesn't explain why Arteta chose Sok to play right back. Surely there must have been other options in the squad even if Bellerin is not fit enough.
posted on 7/1/20
Just to confirm, I'm not saying arteta sent them out there with an idea to play low intensity football. The players themselves know how hard they've worked since he came in, they took it upon themselves to relax a bit.
Now, under Emery or Wenger, that 100% would have continued in the second half. But from what I remember and have read and seen about arteta, I was pretty sure he wouldn't have stood for it. And he didn't.
posted on 8/1/20
"I feel the reason why Leeds are being praised is because they dominated possession and created a lot of chances in the first half which you don't generally see in an away game against premier league opposition."
Jenius, I think you'll find Leeds play every game home and away like that, very rarely teams play against us and have more possession or shots!..
This team is more or less the same that finished 14th in the Championship before Bielsa came in, they got hammered Pre season in Australia against ManU with only about 16 players in the squad against ManU's 30 something but had people praising them because like against you's they made a game of it!..
Bielsa has this team of so called underachievers playing Premiership football, the only problem with his Leeds United that like other games is if we'd found them against you's is the goals!..
Its our goal scoring that slows us down, but, having said that your Keeper had an excellent game!..
posted on 8/1/20
Leeds will be up next season and PL teams and teams wanna hope they can't get a PL quality striker. Assuming that manager stays, they'll be taking plenty PL scalps if they can get some real quality up front. Tbf they look like they'll be taking a fair few whether they get one or not.
posted on 8/1/20
On your main point Tu Make, the fans need to learn to bloody cheer to get the players going when they flag. You see it all the time. Place is hectically loud, but only when we are firmly in control of a match. I think we'll always have a problem as long as the fans at the Emirates keep on with the "Go silent as soon as we don't have the ball" thing they do.
We need our fans to start behaving like other team's do and passionately support the team regardless of whether we have the ball or not. I don't expect people to cheer and be happy for 90mins of terrible play. More to see and understand, that SOMETIMES anyway, it's THEIR job to inspire the players despite 30 mins of rubbish. For a lot of other teams, when they're having a bad day, that support from the fans is often critical in 30 mins bad, waking it's ass up and representing for the next 60. Thus winning the game that was a sure loss if they carried on as they were. 12th man is a real thing. We still lack one the INSTANT we look like we're not going to boss the whole game.
*He's got red hair should change to "He shouts at H/T
posted on 8/1/20
WB2, the talk in the background around Leeds says that there is some serious backing on its way, I think "if" we make the Premier league that Premier league strikers will be brought in!..